Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to tracking pollution. More particularly, exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a system and method for tracking pollution by determining pollution concentration gradients with unmanned vehicles.
Generally, pollution, such as air, water, soil or noise pollution, may be detected using manual instrumentation that is operated by individual human operators in an area expected to have pollution. Pollution detection equipment may also be mounted at fixed positions in different locations or geographic areas. Pollution may be emitted from a wide array of locations and the pollution may spread over a large geographic area. Spreading pollution may be present at a large range of concentrations in different areas. Pollution may also spread according to patterns that are not readily predicted, such as according to shifting wind patterns or shifting water currents. Thus, pollution detection equipment may be disposed in fixed positions over a wide geographic area to detect pollution emitted from a single source. For example, emissions from industrial equipment or a power plant may travel relatively large distances according to wind patterns and pollution emitted from such a source may be present at varying concentrations at varying distances from the emission source.
Pollution may be detected at relatively low concentrations in a particular geographic area and the source of the detected solution may be unknown. Thus, it may be desirable to have pollution detection equipment present over a large geographic area to determine pollution concentrations in different areas to determine an origin or source of a particular form of pollution.